The Vivo X200 Ultra: Your Smartphone or Camera?

Vivo has launched the X200 Ultra smartphone in China. It is packed with top-notch features. The phone runs on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. It offers up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The standout feature, however, is its triple camera setup. This setup can be enhanced with accessories. These accessories boost the phone’s zoom capabilities. They also improve how the phone feels in your hand when taking photos or videos. The X200 Ultra starts at 6, 499 yuan. This is about $890. The price goes up to 7, 999 yuan. This is around $1, 096. The phone comes with a 6. 82-inch OLED screen. It has a fingerprint sensor under the display. It supports 90W charging with a USB-C cable. It also supports up to 40W wireless charging. The phone is dust and water resistant. It comes in silver, red, and black colors. There are no plans to release it outside China. The phone’s camera setup is impressive. It has two 50-megapixel cameras with Sony sensors. One has a wide-angle lens. The other is great for portraits. There is also a 200-megapixel camera with a telephoto lens. This lens has macro capabilities. The front camera is 50 megapixels. All three rear cameras can record 10-bit 4K video at 60 fps. They can also record slow-motion video at 4K/120 fps. Vivo uses special chips to enhance image and video quality. The phone also has an enhanced shutter button. This button can adjust exposure or zoom. Vivo offers a Photographer Kit for the X200 Ultra. This kit costs 2, 598 yuan. It includes a grip with a video record button. It also has a settings dial and a zoom control. The kit adds a 2, 300mAh battery. This extends the phone’s 6, 000mAh battery life. The kit also includes a Zeiss telephoto converter lens. This lens boosts the phone’s zoom capabilities. It is unknown how much the kit adds to the phone’s weight. The kit includes a shoulder strap for easier handling. Will the X200 Ultra replace a dedicated camera? Probably not for pros. The phone’s sensors are smaller than those in DSLR or mirrorless cameras. These cameras perform better in low light. The option to add a telephoto lens is useful. However, Vivo needs more lens options for the X200 Ultra to be a true camera replacement. Even so, the X200 Ultra offers more camera features than most smartphones.